Terminal fitting for vent pipes



' Dec. 30, 1941. s. 0. MARTIN 2,267,797

TERMINAL FITTING FOR VENT PIPES Filed Aug. 18, 1959 Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TERMINAL FITTING FOR VENT PIPES Stanley D. Martin, Waltham, Mass.

Application August 18, 1939, Serial No. 290,769

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an improved terminal fitting for the vent pipe or conduit of a storage tank holding an inflammable liquid such as gasoline, kerosene or the like.

In many instances storage tanks for gasoline and the like are buried in the ground, closely adjacent to residences and other buildings, and it is customary to provide such tanks with two pipes leading upwardly therefrom, one of said pipes being provided for use in replenishin the contents of the tank and the other pipe being provided as a vent through which the fumes or vapor within the tank may be exhausted into the atmosphere above the ground while the tank is being refilled and through which air is admitted to the tank while the contents of the latter is being drawn off,

Many different forms of fittings have heretofore been provided for application to the upper end of the vent pipe for preventing the entrance of dirt, dust or rain, while at the same time providing a free vent for the interior of the tank and a free outlet for the gas, vapor or the like that is displaced when the tank is refilled. These fittings are invariably disposed close to the ground and heretofore provided upon their under side with a downwardly directed outlet through which the tank was always vented and through which the gas, vapor or the like displaced in refilling the tank was discharged downwardly onto the ground. Such gasoline vapor or gas is heavier than air and will remain in a layer close to the ground. As a result it has frequently happened that the vapor or gas discharged from the vent fitting has been waited or otherwise caused to flow laterally through an open window disposed close to the ground into an adjacent building, thus creating a dangerous hazard within the latter.

My invention has for its primary object to provide an improved vent pipe terminal fitting so organized and constructed that the objectionable feature just referred to is obviated. It is also an object of this invention to provide a terminal fitting of the class described which will be simple in construction, efficient and inexpensive.

To these ends I have provided an improved terminal fitting having the features of construction and operation set forth in the following description, the several novel features of the invention being separately pointed out and defined in the claim at the close thereof.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved terminal fitting in its preferred form.

Figure 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the fitting shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 4 illustrates an alternative construction.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 comprises a one-piece body In which may be a metal casting and this body is formed interiorly with two chambers II and I2 whose lower portions are in communication through a passageway 13 and whose upper portions are separated by an intermediate partition l4 that is part of body It. The passageway l3 and partition I4 are directly opposite a central- 1y disposed threaded aperture l5 provided through the bottom wall of the body and-into which is forcibly screwed the upper exteriorly threaded end of a vertical vent pipe l6. As usual this vent pipe extends downwardly through the ground IT to the usual buried tank, not shown, holding a supply of gasoline or the like.

At opposite sides of the partition M the chambers II and [2 are provided, with upwardly directed outlet ports l8.

The partition I4 is V-shaped and its apex is axially alined with the pipe I6 while the outlet ports l8 are disposed equi-distant from, and at opposite sides of, said axis.

The top of body In is made with two upstanding annular rims or beads 20 and 2| which surround the upper ends of the outlet ports i8. These rims are made with smooth and fiat top surfaces which serve as seats for clack-valves 22 which are loosely and pivotally supported by pintles 24, said pintles being fixed at their opposite ends in lugs 26 projecting upwardly from the top of body In.

In order to avoid undue weight each clackvalve is preferably a sheet metal stamping formed with a laterally extending web 21 which is slitted as at 28 to provide three tangs. The two outermost tangs of each valve are formed into eyes 29 which loosely embrace one of the pintles 24 while the intermediate tang 3|] extends more or less radially outwardly from said pintle so as to serve as a stop arm to limit the opening movement of the valve through engagement with the top of body II]. The stop arm tang 3B of each valve maintains the center of gravity of the latter always offset laterally at one side of the pivot pintle so that the valve is always urged toward its seat 20 or 2| by gravity, and so that when relieved of a force tending to hold it in its fully open position it will fall by gravity on to said seat.

The body or closure portion of each valve is made in the form of an inverted cup Whose skirt 3| surrounds the upper portions of the rim 251, or 2|, on Which the valve is seated so as to shield said rim from rain, snow and the like.

Each chamber ll and I2 is also provided at its bottom with a downwardly directed inlet port 32 that is oflset laterally from the vent pipe l6 and outlet 18, and within each inlet port 32 there is provided a fine wire mesh screen 33 that is held in position therein by an annular shoulder 34 and split ring35. The split ring 35 is sprung into position within an annulargroove 36 formed within the inlet 32 and holds itself in position as well as the screen 33.

While the supply of gasoline or the like within the tank is being replenished a stream of gas or vapor is discharged upwardly from vent pipe it against the lower edge of the partition M whose opposite inclined surfaces direct the current against the valves 22 so that the latter are lifted into their open positions as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The valves 22 are in the open; that is, they are not shrouded by a cap, hood or cover and as a result the vapor or gas is discharged upwardly from outlets l8 into the atmosphere and dissipated instead of toward the ground as heretofore has usually been the case.

As, the contents of the tank is drawn off air is free to be supplied to said tank through the inlets 32 In the form of my invention illustrated in Fig 4 a single chamber PM is provided having a screened inlet port 32a at its bottom and a valvecontrolled outlet port We at its top. The vent pipe it isscrewed tightly into a threaded aperture 5511 provided at the bottom of chamber Ma and while the underground tank is being filled the gas or vapor discharged from pipe 16 is directed toward outlet l8a by an inclined surface Ma at one side of chamber lZa. In this form of my invention the one-piece body [ta is made upon its top with a pair of upstanding lugs 2t between which a valve 22 is pivotally mounted on a pintle 24 that is fixed at its opposite ends in the lugs 26. Thus during refilling operation the gas or vapor discharged upwardly from pipe 16 lifts the valve 22 and discharges upwardly from outlet port [8a into the atmosphere where it becomes dissipated. The inlet port 32a at all times provides a vent for chamber l2a and pipe Hi.

What I claim is:

As a new article of manufacture, a terminal fitting of the class described comprising a onepiece body having at its bottom an opening adapted to be connected with the upper end of a vent conduit and formed interiorly with a cavity with which said opening communicates, said cavity being shaped to provide two chambers at opposite sides of the axis of said conduit; two downwardly directed inlet vent ports each communicating with the bottom of one of said chambers, two upwardly directed outlet ports, each communicating with the top of one of said chambers and a V-shaped partition between saidoutlet ports whose apex is'disposed opposite said conduit so that the gas discharged from the latter is deflected thereby into said outlet ports; screens within said inlet vent ports; two valves normally closing theupper ends of said outlet ports, each of said valves being pivotally mounted upon the exterior of the top Wall of said body so that it is opened by the impact of said gas against it, and means for limiting the opening movement of each valve sothat the latter will be closed by gravity upon termination of the flow of said gas.

STANLEY D. MARTIN. 

